Pages puts women front and centre in reimagined Carmen

By Kim Dunphy

Maria Pages' Yo, Carmen places Bizet's famous opera firmly in a flamenco arena. Incorporating many elements of traditional Spanish performance, Pages herself was a commanding presence. In feisty solos she and her all-female company riffed off each other's flashing footwork, accompanied by strong female singers.

Captivating: Maria Pages in Yo, Carmen.

Pages' zeal to reinterpret the roles of women in performance and in life was evident: this Carmen put women front and centre. There was significant deviation from flamenco norms, including a confiding exchange with the audience about the challenges a mature female performer faces.

The all-male musicians were invisible for more than half of the show, and only a backlit presence for much of the rest. While their contribution was lively, competent and varied, it was neither the focus nor a holding space for the women's dance, as is more common in flamenco.

There was much aesthetic appeal, from rich, bright lighting to the addition of voice-overs as diverse as a sweet, Spanish child and a Japanese adult. There was a graceful duet to a folky tune; a clutch of books lifted and held still in a flood of golden light; a chorus of sticks tapping as a counterpoint to flamenco stamps.

Yo, Carmen was met with great reception by its Melbourne audience, evidenced in a lengthy standing ovation. It was followed by the final treat of a charming and cheeky stage exit, as the women and men of the company appeared together for the first time.